Anti-rattler for thill-couplings



" UNITED STATES ROBERT J. MITCHELL,

PATENT OFFICE.

or GIRARD, ILLINOIS.

ANTl-RATTLER FOR THILL-CQUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,277, dated July 1, 1890.

Application filed March 8, 1890. Serial No. 343,088. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. MITCHELL, of Girard, in the county of Macoupin and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Anti-Ratt1er for Thin-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in an ti-rattlers for thill-couplings.

It is well known that the ordinary thillcoupling will rattle badly, especially after the parts become worn, and that the rattling is a source of annoyance.

The object of my invention is to obviate this difficulty by providing an anti-rattler that will be durable and cheap, that may be easily applied, andthat will prevent all rattling in the coupling.

To this end my invention consists in an antirattler formed from'a single piece of springwire, substantially as hereinafter described, and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device as applied to a thill-coupling. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 a detailed perspective view of the device removed from the coupling.

The coupling shown is a common form of coupling, consisting of a clip A, which rests upon the axle B, its lower ends terminating in threaded portions provided with suitable nuts, a clip-bar A, which joins the two members of the clip and is held in place by the nuts, the forwardly-projecting lugs Aiwhich are formed on the clip A, the thill-iron O, which fits between the lugs A and may be attached to the thill in the usual manner, and the bolt D, which passes through the lugs A and the end of the thill-iron, and thus holds the thill-iron in place.

The rattling occurs between the thill-iron, the bolt D, and the lugs A but chiefly between the bolt and the thill-iron, so that if the parts are held firmly together the rattling will cease. To accomplish this result I use the anti-rattler E, which is formed of a single piece of wire and consists of an upwardlybent central portion or bail E, which fits upon the rear end of the clip-barA, two parallel sides or members E which are curved, as shown, and extend beneath the axle to the front side of thesame, being of such length that the bail will strike the clip-bar near its rear end where elevated, two opposite coils E which'rest against the front of the axle and the under side ofthe lugs A and two parallel end portions E, which are curved, as shown, to fit closely against the thill-iron. The bail E, when forced backward and up ward and placed upon the rear end of the clip-bar, will thus hold the device in place, the coils IE will form a fulcrum, and the ends E will represent the short end of a lever and will press firmly against the thill-iron O and keep the same pushed forward and down ward, so that there will be no chance for the iron and bolt to rattle.

By forming the device with the curved portions E and coils E the strain upon the short ends E will be distributed throughout the whole device, thus affording great strength with light wire.

The wire from which the anti-rattler is formed should be sufficiently stilt to hold the thill-iron and bolt in position, but not so stifi but that it may be easily applied. Its size may of course vary with the size of the couplings to which it is applied; but the bail E should always fit closely upon the rear end of the bar A, and the coils E should always press against the front of the axle and the under side of the lugs A To apply the anti-rattler, the curved ends E are inserted between the lugs A from below, with their concave sides next the thill-iron O. The device is then pressed backwardly, and by means of a small lever-such as a screw-driver, large nail, or similar artiolethe bail E is strained backward to the rear end of the clip-bar, and then forced upward till it takes its place on the upper surface of the clip-bar, where it will be retained by the forward pressure of the bail derived from the curve in the wire.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with a thill-coupling, of an anti-rattler formed of a single piece of spring-Wire having curved terminal ends to fit between the lugs of the clip and against the chill-iron, coils formed thereon to fit against the front of the axle and the under side of the clip-lugs, parallel curved portions 10 extending to the rear of the axle, and a central bail to fit upon the rear end of the clipbar, substantially as described.

ROBERT J. MITCHELL.

WVitnesses:

GEo. O. CARROLL, A. H. HARLOW. 

